Action Martial Arts Magazine - Issue #82

Action Martial Arts Magazine - Issue #82

Publisher : Master Alan Goldberg
Editor : Dr. Michael Willett
Editor To The Chinese Martial Arts : Sifu Abdulmuhsiy Abdurrahman
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Table Of Contents
Page 6
Page 11
Page 12
Page 15
Page 18
Page 26
Page 32
Page 34
Page 43
Soke Thomas Gettling
Venerable Warrior
Whats In A Name
Dojo Corner
Touring The Circuits
Tournament Scene
MMA Spotlight
Action HOH
The Future
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A lifetime martial artist, Soke Thomas Gettling
began training in 1964 under Sensei Robert
Saunders, a formidable Judoka and Vietnam
War veteran. Although Tom was a child at that
time, Sensei Saunders
did
not
believe
there was much
difference
between
old
and young or
male
and
female on the
floor.
For
this reason,
Soke
believes that
acting as an
uke
who
was never
given any
quarter
shaped
the kind
of martial
artist he
became.
Soke
Gettling came up in what
many think of as the Golden Age of martial arts
in the 1970’s, and he was able to study under
and train with many great teachers, such as
Jason Lau, Teddy Wilson and Thomas Agero.
This was made possible by Sydney Filson, with
whom Thomas Gettling studied extensively in
the early years. Sensei Filson used him in her
book, How to Protect Yourself and Survive.
With so many diverse influences, Thomas
Gettling became eclectic in both his training
and in his thinking of what an ideal martial
artist should be.
Soke
Gettling
became involved in the
tournament
circuit
and won hundreds
of tournaments on
the east coast,
including
the
Empire
State
Games,
the
Northeast
Championship,
the Yin Yee Cup,
the
Somerville
Karate
Championships,
and the Turtull
Gold Cup.
A
triple threat in
fighting,
weapons
and
forms, he
was selected
to fight against
the Budweiser
National Team,
the John Davis All Stars, and the John Paul
Mitchell Team.
His tournament success
brought him to the attention of Soke Adolfo
Ennever and O’sensei Ronald Duncan, who
recruited him to join the American Federation
of Martial Arts. This organization encouraged
eclectic training, and included systems and
styles as diverse as Kung Fu, Jujitsu, Kempo,
Tae Kwon Do and Ninjitsu. Instructors shared
their arts every weekend for hours, and Thomas
Gettling was again a student of such masters
as Jujitsu instructors James Gordon, Joe Miller
and Harris Warren, karate instructors Vicente
Cruz and Adolfo Ennever and the father or
American Ninjitsu Ronald Duncan.
He quickly rose through the ranks and received
national recognition in Soldier of Fortune
magazine with O’sensei Duncan and Karate
Illustrated, which stated that Gettling, after
defeating Toyataro Miyazaki, had the ability to
make the nunchakus fly.
Soke
Tom has always
been grateful to
all
of
his
teachers
and
mentors,
and
honors
them
by
never
forgetting
where
he
came
from
and
the
seeds these
masters
have planted
in his life.
Closing in
th
on his 40
year as a
teacher,
Soke Gettling
has
taught
martial arts around the
world. Beginning his career
at the Bridgehampton Child Care Center, he
was hired to teach underprivileged children;
but true to those who gave to him so freely, he
wound up spending his paychecks on uniforms
for the children, and paying their entrance fees
to competitions.
His students were notorious in the tri-state area
as a rough and tumble throwback school
whose focus was on kumite—not just winning,
but letting you know you had been in a fight!
This led to Soke Gettling opening three more
schools and teaching seminars at other dojos
and martial organizations, and the military.
Soke subsidized his teaching income
by acting as a bodyguard to such celebrities as
Madonna, James Brown, Tina Turner, The
Sunshine Band, and the soccer star Pele when
he was security chief at the legendary club Bay
Street. All of these experiences shaped him as
a martial artist and teacher. As a body guard
and former police officer, he whittled away
what he believed were antiquated or flashy
techniques that were not adaptable to modern
times and a criminal element that did not
behave in respectful, honorable ways, and
would certainly not bow down to a perfectly
executed
but
unrealistic
technique, or tap out
when a submission
technique
was
applied. Quite the
opposite
would
be true in the
street.
Soke
realized
that
these fighters
did not follow
rules or care
what belt one
had. In fact,
they
only
understood
the
oldest
rule in the
world:
survival of
the
fittest.
Dojo etiquette
had no place in his line of work.
However, he was a stickler in passing the
traditional practices in his dojo to others. Soke
Thomas Gettling believes that these principles
build character that prepares students for life.
He says to the students that the outside world
should never affect the dojo, but everything we
do in the dojo should affect the outside world.
Although he has three dojos, Soke
Tom is not a commercial teacher, and his dojos
are not commercial schools. He is old school,
still collecting dues from month to month to
keep the doors open; but the more important
reason is that he does not want anyone in his
dojo who does not want to be there, and he
definitely does not want to be tied to anyone
contractually that he does not want to teach.
Even in this day and time, Soke Gettling
dismisses students that do not fit into the
character of his school. The arrogant tough
guy is quickly dismissed, as is a thug or a bar
fighter. Soke Tom relentlessly protects the
image of his school, students, and his life’s
work. There are no fast tracking of belts and no
black belt clubs or automatic passing for rank.
Students have set times that they must endure,
and they must be able to perform all
requirements on a test.
Failure means
repeating the whole process again including
time of training. There are no two year black
belts in his dojo. Minimally, a student must
train three times a week for five years to
become a black belt. His tests require physical
fitness, fighting, forms, weapons, self-defense,
and kihon. There are written exams and an
xtensive question and answer interview. Soke
Gettling’s major testing requirement is
probably not seen on most martial arts exams.
He knows each student personally and seeks a
level of personal growth in each student. He
reminds students that speed and power will
diminish over time, however technique lasts
forever. He feels that personal growth is the
measure of one’s applied art. He also feels that
most will never encounter a physical
confrontation, but the real fight is in everyday
problems.
Does one handle these with
complaints, avoidance and procrastination, or
rather as a martial artist who attacks problems,
overcomes and solves them without ever
quitting? In the fast-track McDojo franchise
style martial arts studio, loyalty and
commitment have been replaced by commerce.
Soke Thomas Gettling has no such issues, as
he has many students who have been with him
for 30, 35, or 40 years. Soke feels all students
must be measured by this standard. He laughs
when he states: “That’s my black belt club: 20
years or more.” One cannot pay to join it or be
recommended in.
When
asked
what
he
would
like
his
legacy to be, Soke
Gettling states that
he wishes to honor
his
teacher’s
instructions
and
give what was given
to his when he was
a student. “Martial
arts is bigger than
me;
I
am
insignificant. It is
about
the
next
generation. I have
fewer
tomorrows
than
yesterdays.
My concern is that
martial arts survive,
and that while it
evolves
and
remains current, its
core
principles
survive.
I want the
values of truth, honor,
respect, discipline and devotion to not just be
words, but that students will carry these in their
hearts and souls.”
“Am I concerned that my name will not
last? Not at all. My legacy will live on in my
students. They are not me, have not been
taught to be me, but have been taught to be the
best they can be, and to develop themselves to
the best of their abilities. I want them to pass
that on to their own students someday. A
father or grandfather does not need a photo on
an altar to be bowed down to. No, they are not
relegated to an area of the dojo, but are
everywhere in the hearts, minds and spirits of
those who knew and loved them. They pass
that knowledge from generation to generation.
I would hope as a martial artist and teacher to
be an example to those who have joined me in
their martial arts journey.
If I have
accomplished that, then I will have been
successful.”
By Dr. Michael Willett
Expressions of Love
The principal is this, “The depth of your love is
expressed by the degree of your giving”. When
an individual expresses love to another, it’s
born from the inner workings’ of the heart. The
heart opens and an outpouring of gestures
cascade down to the object of your affection. These gestures can
manifest in overwhelming financial gifts, or can manifest itself in
great human sacrifice, etc the giving of a kidney.
There are several types of love. There is Forbidden, Unequaled,
Paternal, Maternal ,Fraternal, Sisterly, Heterosexual, Homosexual,
Love of self (narcissistic love), Love of power, Love of money, Agape
love (the God kind of love)
I mention these expressions of love because I want to share a story
of great love that I was a witness too.
It was just a few weeks ago, I went to Calvary Hospital, to visit
Grand Master Reno Morales. I arrived about 2pm and was promptly
greeted by his daughter Eva Aguilera, affectionately known as
Firefox. The mood as you would surmise was very somber. Grand
Master Morales was fighting stage 4 of a most debilitating malady.
Firefox and I chatted briefly as we tried to be as upbeat as humanly
possible about the condition and the recovery of her father. Firefox
shared with me that she was at peace with the possibility that her
beloved father might move on to another existence due to
manifested wisdom.
What I’m about to share is in no way humorous because of the
gravity of the situation but I was flabbergasted by the event. Grand
Master Reno was in a semi conscious state and not very responsive
to voice commands. Firefox took the cover from his feet and began
to message his feet. Foot massages are not so rare but the
expression on her face was extraordinary. As I continued to watch
Firefox love her father, she moved from his feet to his hands. She
lovingly anointed his hands with her hands. I wish I had the words to
articulate the caring and love that resided in her eyes and in her
actions.
I don’t believe I have ever seen a person love another person love
so deeply and unconditionally before. The expression of love was so
moving, I began to cry, I cried because of the compassion showed. I
must admit I didn’t allow Firefox to witness me crying. I didn’t allow
her to see me crying because I wanted to be strong for her in her
moment of need.
I said all that to say this, when is the last time you have loved
someone unconditionally? When have you put all of your personal
concerns on hold and given to someone else at the expense of self?
To Eva Aguilera, I have watched you demonstrate the God kind of
love (Agape) to your father; it
embarrassed and humbled me
to do more where I can. It
inspired me to reach out and
touch my brothers and my
sisters. It inspired me to repair
any breeches I might have
caused in the fence of life. It
inspired me to be the first one
to break the silence. It inspired
me to say I’m sorry even
though I was not wrong. You
have become the prototype for
love.
I just wanted you to know
God saw your unselfishness
and so did I.
By Allen Woodman
To begin is the courage and
conviction
to
search
for
knowledge. It is that challenge within oneself to take
that first step. To approach a true understanding of any
martial arts one must have the desire to open one’s self
up new ideas and philosophies. It’s the culmination of
bridging a divide between what one knows and the
unknown. Starting a martial arts system of training is
one of the truest ways to find one’s own self and
discover the history, culture and science of another.
Within the martial arts there are so many various
martial arts and styles that it would truly boggle the
mind to attempt count. The martial arts of any styles or
systems have their own individual nuances and traits
that make up its approach to conflict. Each martial art
separately has within itself a separate meaning to the
individual that studies the art. Each person will retain
the mirror of that which is put forth in training hours
and study. The makeup of any martial art in my belief is
held within each student. The basis of each students
understanding of their art or system comes from their
already pre-existing ideologies, concepts of balance and
lifes affirming nature of self reliance and self defense.
It is my most humbled opinion that all martial arts are
basically equal. In their inception the separate art forms
and systems have reached an entirely new pinnacle of
understanding of movement and how it best suits an
individual person. Each art is as different in its approach
to learning and use different techniques and
applications but ultimately find themselves at the same
goal. To be able to defend one’s self or to defend
another is the ultimate goal of every martial art. It is the
methodology and concept that differ but, never the
result.
The countless defensive systems that are taught today
are unparalleled in number. The range of arts varies
from pure defensive to aggressive to cultural and even
sport application. It is within these divides that we can
peek in to the human soul and psyche to learn more
about man himself. The history and context in which
each art or style place themselves; defines the nature of
the art. In the end the results are the learned skills that
set each apart yet somehow connect each other to a
whole. Martial arts are a collective. They borrow and
bend techniques to build their own bridges of
understanding. You will find that most martial arts can
be rooted back to only a handful of original styles or
schools of learning.
Since the divination of man, the martial arts styles and
systems have been broken apart either by politics or by
practicality. They have been separated only by the
individuals that learn them. Where one wishes to give
ground, another desires to take it. It is in each art that
you will find the separations and small differences. It is
what makes the system or style work and flow. Each
difference breathes life in to itself and becomes the
subtle movements and positions that form the very
nature of the art.
When seeking out a course of study the most
important aspect to consider is the instructor of the art.
Although the arts are somewhat connected and often
formulaic, it is the teachers that will define how you as a
student receive the information.
The Instructor is the pinnacle of your learning. Because
the arts and styles are so vast and complex, it is the
instructor that will guide the student through the
various aspects that comprise the art of study. The
instructor should place learning and practice above all
else. They are the beacon light for others to follow the
path. A martial arts instructor is often placed in such
high regard that they are many times seen as earthly
bound deity of the study. Students who follow this path
are losing the true sight of what they seek. Instructors of
the highest caliber are heralded with title and status as
a sign of respect for the knowledge and history that they
carry. As it should be they are held to a higher standard
and scope. The instructors are the students’ window to
themselves. The Masters of today represent the future
of martial arts in its entirety. The title Master is a sign of
respect and honor. Often misused it conjures images of
an untouchable priest like warrior. To be a true master
one must only master one’s self. In the martial arts you
can find the levels of mastery as many as the arts
themselves. The first level is the Shodan (by Japanese
standards). This is the entry point to become and
instructor. Although many arts and schools of learning
use other titles and names, it is the most accepted term
for a black belt level instructor. This is the first level of
achievement that demonstrates the competency and
basic understanding of the art of their select. This
person has a basic understanding of their respective art
form. The second level is the Nidan (By Japanese
terminology) A slightly elevated status of instructor
showing that this instructor has devoted more time in
their training. The steps of instructor ship continue
upward from three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and
ultimately to tenth degree black belt.
In most
traditional arts the coveted tenth degree is the most
highly honored and elevated level. This tenth degree
names the instructor as the head or chief of the entire
art, system or style. There would be none higher than
this level in traditional circles of martial arts. This
highest honor would be the pinnacle of training and
mastery of the specific art form or school associated
Sensei is the foremost and most widely used term for a
teacher.
Sensei is a Japanese word that basically means "person
born before another.” In general usage, it means
"teacher," or one who knows and the word is used as a
title to refer to or address teachers, professors,
professionals such as lawyers, CPA and doctors,
politicians, clergymen, and other figures of authority.
The word is also used to show respect to someone who
has achieved a certain level of mastery in an art form or
some other skill: accomplished puppeteers, novelists,
musicians, and artists for example are addressed in this
way. The two characters that make up the term can be
directly translated as "born before" and implies one
who teaches based on wisdom from age and experience.
The Japanese expression of sensei shares the same
characters as the Chinese word; it can also be attached
to a man's name to mean "gentleman" or, more
commonly, "mister". Prior to the development of the
modern vernacular it is used to address teachers of both
genders; this has fallen out of usage in Standard
Chinese, though it is retained in some southern Chinese
dialects such as Cantonese, Hokkien and Hakka where it
still has the meaning "teacher" or "doctor".
Renshi is an official title in Japanese society, which
originated in the samurai warrior class, and means a
'Polished Master' of a particular martial art. Ever since
the Meiji restoration in 1868, the title was issued and
recorded by the Dai Nippon Buto-Ku-Kai in Kyoto, which
became the National Governing Body and 'records
office' for all of the traditional martial arts in Japan since
1895. According to the wording on the Diploma, it is
awarded by the 'Society of Fellows' (the 'Shogo' in
Japanese) 'in recognition of attainment of a high level of
proficiency in the development of karate spirit and
technical skill in the practice of karate-do'.
It should also be noted that ‘Renshi’ is one of three
recognized titles issued by the Shogo; the other two
being ‘Kyoshi’ and ‘Hanshi’ respectively.
Kyōshi refers to an advanced teacher. Usually this is
awarded at 7th dan. It is thought to mean Teacher.
Note: while the common belief is that a person holding
a Sensei title or higher can open a dojo, in Okinawa it is
common to not allow anyone to open their own dojo
until they reach Kyoshi and 7th dan. Thus many times
Kyoshi is called a teachers rank. Hanshi refers to a senior
expert considered a "teacher of teachers". This title is
used by many different arts for the top few instructors
of that style, and is sometimes translated "Grand
Master". Shihan Title of "Master" is a Japanese
Honorific Title, Expert License Certification used in
Japanese martial rts for Master Level Instructors. The
award of the xpert License Certification is if designated
by the qualification by virtue of endorsement by either
the Association of Chief Instructors or the
Administration Head of an Association. SHOU-GOU is
the master’s title-system set up by the Dai-Nippon
Butoku-kai (greater Japan Budo Encouragement
Federation established in 1895 in Kyoto). It consists of
three ranks, Renshi, Kyoshi and Hanshi. The sho-go
awarded consist of the three similar ranks and are much
therefore classical ranks/titles similar to Samurai titles
given under the auspices of Japan's Imperial Family
during feudal times. The award of sho-go is based on
each individual’s knowledge, teaching ability and the
outstanding development of character through the
study of the karate. Therefore it is important to realize
that in the modern approach to karate, these
titles/ranks are more difficult to achieve than the
conventional Dan grades and are NOT automatically
assigned with rank or seniority. The main theory of the
title Shihan is the foundation of the word Shi meaning
father and Han meaning of others. Together the titles
represent the meaning Teacher of other teachers, or
father of fathers. This title is normally separated from
other titles; for example: Any person one with the title
Shihan would not have any other title of Renshi or
Kyoshi. It is of separate lineage as other titles. Such
titles as Kyoshi or Hanshi are awarded were as Shihan
can be used by anyone that is the teacher of other black
belt teachers. In other terms it signifies one as a
grandfather figure of an art form or school; One that has
children that have children. Sōke is a Japanese term
that means "the head family. In the realm of Japanese
traditional arts, it is used synonymously with the term
iemoto. Thus, it is often used to indicate "headmaster"
(or sometimes translated as "head of the family" or
even "grand master".) The English translation of sōke as
"grand master" is not a literal translation but it does see
use by some Japanese sources. It can mean one who is
the leader of any school or the master of a style, but it is
most commonly used as a highest level Japanese title,
referring to the singular leader of a school or style of
martial art. The term, however, is not limited to the
genre of martial arts. Sōke is sometimes mistakenly
believed to mean "founder of a style" because many
modern sōke are the first generation headmasters of
their art (shodai sōke), and are thus both sōke and
founder. However, the successors to the shodai sōke are
also sōke themselves. Sōke is generally considered the
ultimate authority within their art, and has final
discretion and authority regarding promotions,
curriculum, doctrine, and disciplinary actions. A sōke has
the authority to issue a menkyo kaiden certificate
indicating that someone has mastered all aspects of his
style. The widespread use of the term "sōke" is
controversial in
the martial arts community. Traditionally it was used very rarely in
Japan, typically only for very old martial arts, although it has become
a somewhat common term for headmasters of schools created in the
last few decades that attempt to reconstruct or emulate older styles
of martial arts. Some modern western sōkes have used the title
Sōke-dai as a title for their assistant as the leader of their school.
This last passage I explained ranking using the traditional Japanese
terminology. Of course there are other ranking systems in other
cultural arts such as Chinese, Philippine, Indonesian, Korean and
Indian just to name but a few of the cultural scool. Other ranking
terms you may find in this book from the myriad of cultures are also
as follows. I only dictate the words so that the reader will be able to
distinguish the usage of these words during the readi ng of this book
and to better educate themselves to the language of martial arts.
The Comoon Chinese terminology for teacher is Sifu. It truly
translates to one with knowledge who shares.
The term Sijo is most commonly used for the meaning of
Grandmaster. Whereas, the word Sigong translates in to the
meaning of “Father”. The meaning of this is not in the familiar way of
paternal but more in the fraternal use, as in the father of the art or
school.
Other words in common usage today with in the martial arts circles
also come from the Indian, Indonesian and Philippine cultures.
Guro also translates in to teacher in the common Philippine
languages. It should be noted that this term originates from the
Indian Culture from the root word Guru which means teacher or
learned one.
Other terms that stem off of the word Guro are Kuya, Punang and
Madong Guro. These are several different terms that dictate the
level of mastery of a teacher.
In Korean the Dan system is taken from the traditional Japanese arts.
So the similarities are apparent. The most common of the words in
use with Korean based arts are Sa Bu Nim, Kyo Su Nim and so on.
These also are only dictated by training levels and mastery of the art
in question.
The last terms that are most commonly used in martial arts are the
positions of Professor or Doctor. The connotation suggests an
academically educated background. The term Professor in martial
arts actually has its grounds in the Judo system of Japan. The
Founder of Judo was Professor Jigoro Kano. A legitimate University
Professor. He taught at Doryoku University in Tokyo, Japan at the
turn of the century 1900 Japan. When he promoted one single
student to the unheard of rank of tenth dan prior to his death, he left
no title name to the instructor. Because the art form was created by
an actual academic professor the word stuck and thus formed the
term in use today as Professor. Since then other art and systems
have borrowed this word to suggest the level and skill of a highly
educated instructor.
From that, other standards of instructor levels have emerged such as
Doctorate and PHD; positions. Some are real, some are Honorius and
some have no real merit to the instructors teaching abilities.
These are but a few words in use today that fall back to the
traditional languages of the arts themselves. The common terms
that are in use today are from the traditional roots of martial arts
however, it should be noted that in today’s society and access to the
internet and the knowledge it holds, there are many of those who
simply use the titles to gain respect without earning them. The
common traditional method of attaining these high level ranks is
that they are awarded by a higher level instructor or a group of
higher ranked instructors as an association. They in turn would deem
whom would be appropriate to rank to higher levels. Other
standards of ranking would be certificates given the instructor
certifying the instructor has trained to the specified level.
It all ultimately boils down to the student to discover the truth and
research for themselves the veracity of certifications over years and
decades to attain and ranks that some profess to have or hold.
In my humble opinion it is now nor ever has been the aim of a true
martial artist to gain rank over knowledge. To train in martial arts is
the only real goal of a true practitioner. Only the learning and
application is important. As my instructor once said “It is not what is
around your waist, but what is between your ears that win a battle.”
If we as martial artist can honestly look deep within ourselves only
then can we know that a rank or title only is a means of position and
not of real knowledge.
World Warrior Camp
The leaders of World Warrior Camp are Soke Thomas Gettling of the G5 School of
Martial Arts, Sijo James Robinson of Running Fist Kung Fu, and Renshi Ross Greenberg
of Chikara Martial Arts Academy. Each year these martial arts instructors work together to
bring this new and exciting Martial Arts Event to life.
World Warrior Camp is a training experience that is very different from other Martial Arts
events that you have attended in the past. World Warrior Camp is a progressive and new
twist on your usual martial arts seminar weekend event.
With many conventional Martial Arts events, the normal fair is that a person has to take
into consideration the costs of participating in each event. The first of which is travel.
Travel is very expensive today with the cost of fuel, both driving and flying to any location.
The next concern would be, where one would stay during a weekend long event. Staying
multiple days at a martial arts event requires lodging. Then you also have to consider the
cost of your meals. Lastly and certainly not least of all is the price of the event. You have
to pay for the Seminar.
World Warrior Camp has a concept where the price to attend the event, includes
Lodging, Meals, & Martial Arts Instruction for one reasonable price, that most people find
affordable even in today’s economy. Outside of getting to the location, everything is
included. World Warrior Camp is now trying to make it much more cost effective for a
martial artist to advance their knowledge and still be
Every Year, the camp has a common theme. And each instructor brings an experience
to the event to share with the participants, which meets the theme of that year. Instructors
have brought ideas and concepts from the system of martial arts which they have studied
over the years, and come and share their knowledge by teaching ideas that are in line with
the theme of that year. The main rule of the day is, drop the egos, open your mind, and try
something new. No judgments, no attitudes, just good old-fashioned martial arts training.
36 hours of martial arts training during the course of a 3 day weekend from 6am Friday
Morning, when everyone starts arriving for check in, till Sunday afternoon, for the Super
Sunday Seminar with a review of all of the techniques, demonstrated by “the students” of
the seminars, not the instructors. In past events a special Woman’s Empowerment
Seminar for the ladies of the camp was included to educate the dangers that women face
in the world today. There have also been special classes for the junior members
attending, which is informative and fun.
At this event, the emphasis of the training is on the part of the student. Our goal is to
make sure that the students go home with technique to be able to use in their future.
It is time to get back to the traditional ways of martial arts where warriors get together
and learn by putting Blood, Sweat, and Tears into their training. Mat Time, not just Chat
Time. Who gets to come and teach at World Warrior Camp? World Warrior Camp has
given a number of fresh new faces an opportunity to step up and show us what they have
to bring to the table. Any instructor who is looking to be a part of World Warrior Camp
must submit a Resume and Video Clip of themselves doing martial arts which would fit the
theme of the current years event on the website to be considered.
At past events there have been some notable martial artists who have taught at the event
such as Grand Master Oso Tayari Casel, Grand Master Malik Shabbaz, Grand Master
Anthony Muhammad, O’Sensei Felix Vazquez, Grand Master Gregory Duncan, Grand
Master Tony Mayo, Shihan Richard Pearson, Shihan Mike Leclair, Master Kevin Bergquist,
Kyoshi John Turnbull, and Master Larry W. Houck.
Registration is normally done months in advance. From the first event that was done
back in 2010, the camp registrations start flowing in as soon as the website registration
opens. The Date for the World Warrior Camp - East Coast event is September 6th to 8th,
2013. The theme of the Camp will be Martial Arts of the World. It will be at Quinipet Camp
and Retreat Center in Shelter Island Heights, NY. There are currently plans underway to
have a Mid West Event. Make sure to check the website www.WorldWarriorCamp.com for
updates to the locations and registration dates.
The 1st World Tang Soo Do Forum in Seoul
TORRES ON TANG SOO DO FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
By Master Guy Edward Larke
Tang Soo Do, much like the country that gave birth to it, rocketed to international
recognition in a record period of time. Sadly with the emergence of Taekwondo as an
Olympic sport, it dealt a hard blow to the art… especially in its homeland. That’s where the
World Moo Duk Kwon General Federation (now the “World Tang Soo Do General
Federation – Moo Duk Kwon”) emerged in the city of Seoul. Among its founders were two
of Hwang Kee’s very first protégé’s, Grandmaster Kim Yong-Duk (Dan #2) and
Grandmaster Choi Hee-Suk (Dan # 3). They sought to regroup the splintered art and bring
it into the 21st Century.
Enter November, 5th 2012. A collection of the most eclectic and influential masters and
grandmasters from around the globe were invited to attend the very first Tang Soo Do
forum ever held in Seoul. Their numbers included: Grm and Master James Saffold, Robert
Kovaleski, Pedro Vangas Jr., Dominick Giacobbe, C.K. Leow, Eng-Sin Tan, Dana Stamos,
Jose’ Torres, Eric Kovaleski, Andrew Ginter. Sergio Corral, Pablo Vangas, Peter De
Fosses, Aldwin Lee, Des GalliganThe event was only 5 days in length, but was nothing
short of powerful. My wife Gi-Ryung, our niece Seul-Ki, and I were fortunate to be able to
be part of hosting these extraordinary individuals.
The first was the forum itself where speeches from both Korean and foreign masters were
given. Topics ranged from inspiration to technical aspects to the preservation of the art.
Translation was provided by my wife to expedite matters.
The next day was a workshop. In our way of thinking it was a discussion and
brainstorming session. Crucial subjects such as image, rights and responsibilities of
masters and the future were in full swing. Although the debates sometimes got emotional,
respect was always maintained on both sides and as a result all felt much closer as a
result. To top it off Masters Jose’ Torres and Eric Kovaleski made a vow to hold the first
Tang Soo Do championship in Korea in 2014 to help to the grandfathers of Tang Soo Do.
The third day was heavy training with the General Secretary Choung Koe-Woong and
Hong Kong movie legends Hwang Jung-Lee and Bruce Lai (now called Chang Il-Do). The
three saw to it that ALL the visiting masters had their blood pumping and hearts racing. To
end the day Grandmasters Dominick Giacobbe, Pedro Vangas and Robert Kovaleski tested
for 9th Dan, while Masters Jose’ Torres, Eric Kovaleski and Sergio Corral tested for 7th.
The fourth day was a visit to the traditional city of Chung-ju and the World Martial Arts
Park. There we were treated to a Taekgyeon (ancient Korean folk martial art resembling
dance) and a tour of the massive martial arts museum. As well we signed “The
Proclomation of the Establishment of the World Tang Soo Do Holy Ground.” Which is on
permanent display at the museum.
Perhaps the schedule was not the most amazing, but the comraderie was. With the
exception of attending Robert Ott’s seminar in 2011 I have never felt the level of trust,
bonding and brotherly love in the 30+ years I have been in the martial arts.
Master Guy Edward Larke has dedicated his life from a young age to the pursuit of the
martial arts, Asian culture and hopology. It led him to Korea in 2000 and has lived there
since then. He lives in Seongnam city with his wife Gi-Ryung and son Alexander. He holds
black belts in Taekwondo, Hapkido, Taekgyeon, Bon Kuk Kumdo, Korean kickboxing,
Karate-do, Wushu, Cheonji-muye-do, and various other systems. Currently he teaches
Taekwondo, Karate and Cheonji-muye-do full time in addition to writing for various
magazines and running Kisa-Do Muye & Marketing. He can be contacted at
kisa_do_muye@yahoo.ca.
R.J. Bishop
2012 WESTERN CAROLINA KARATE CLASSIC
Taylorsville.NC
I’m Baaaaaaaaack, from my sabbatical, time to get down to
business. I recently attended the 3rd WESTERN CAROLINA
KARATE CLASSIC in Taylorsville, NC my first tournament in
almost two years.
The WESTERN CAROLINA KARATE CLASSIC is a great
young tournament promoted by PASTOR PHIL ADDISON
and JEFF “THE
BEAST
OF THE
SOUTHEAST”
BLAKE, of the FIRM
FOUNDATION TKD
SCHOOL of Stony
Point, NC. BLAKE
and ADDISON are
also NBL World
Champion
Breakers. This is a
CHRISTIAN based
event, a nice little
tournament
with
great folks, quality
judging and nice
awards.
The
WESTERN
CAROLINA
KARATE CLASSIC is a DOJO Organization and a SKIL rated
tournament.
I received a very nice greeting from the Promoters, Judges,
competitors and some of the families in the audience. I was
approached by multiple Promoters to cover the 2013
season.
The tournament started shortly after 10:00 am with the
breaking divisions outside in the parking lot, and Musical
Divisions followed. I noticed a few new schools and a
handful of talented new competitors such as 12 yr old
TRINITY AMBROSE from PIEDMONT MARTIAL ARTS of
Burlington, NC. TRINITY is only a green belt but she
displayed a very strong Isshinryu Kata not only in the
eliminations but in the Underbelt Grands too.
Hope
Hamilton age 12 and Lexi Shepard age 9 of the “MASTERS
STUDIOS OF SELF DEFENSE” were very impressive also.
Both showed me very, very strong Wushu Katas. This
school teaches both Wushu and Kempo Karate. I was also
impressed with their instructor BILLY ILDERTON and the
rest of his students.
The tournament moved along at a decent rate, thanks to
some good organization by the tournament coordinators.
One thing I really enjoyed was the breaking demo by
PASTOR PHIL ADDISON and his short sermon on salvation.
It was very inspirational.
The one thing I did NOT like was the fact that some of the
promoters did not bring a lot of students to this event. FIRM
FOUNDATION supports the DOJO Tournaments very well
but they didn’t return the favor. I realize the economy is
horrible but there is no reason not to support this
tournament better. This IS a quality event.
The most memorable part of the tournament came at the
end during the Men’s Fighting Grand Championship. World
Champion CASS SIGMON faced off against EWELL CARTER
of Virginia. SIGMON totally dominated the fight, but a
strange twist came at the end. After a time out with about
six seconds left in the fight Sigmon had a huge lead and all
he had to do was move around the ring to kill the time but
he decided to blitz CARTER and hit him hard enough to
draw blood, thus causing a DQ. Not a smart move at all, only
SIGMON knows for sure why he applied that strategy.If
you’re in the Carolinas next September please keep the
WESTERN CAROLINA KARATE CLASSIC in mind. If you like
a SAFE, FUN tournament then this is the event for
you.Promoters JEFF BLAKE and PASTOR PHIL ADDISON
would like to thank all the competitors, judges, volunteers
and spectators who participated that day.
BLACK WARRIOR MARTIAL ARTS “HALL OF HONORS”
Concord NC
Once upon a time there was a very wise Martial Artist
named ERNEST DUKES.
He was a man with a
vision, and a relentless
drive to be the best man
and Martial Artist he could
be. This man ERNEST
DUKES a Shorin Rye
practioner
is
now
GRANDMASTER ERNEST
DUKES, a well respected
Martial Artist here in the
Southeast. The BWMA
HALL OF HONORS is one
of
the
projects
that
GRANDMASTER
DUKES
had foreseen years back.
The banquet was held in
a nice banquet room at a
local BBQ restaurant in
Concord, NC. Elite Martial
Artists and their families filled the hall and were treated to a
good meal and good fellowship. ACTION MARTIAL ARTS
MAGAZINE Editor GRANDMASTER MICHAEL WILLETT was
in attendance as a special guest of honor and to promote
his book “MAN BY CHOICE MALE BY BIRTH”.
We were treated to a special musical kata/weapons demo
by GRANDMASTER DUKES. The music was soothing and
ethereal so the kata/weapon demo was slow and deliberate
and very entertaining.
Overall this was a pleasure to cover and I hope to come
back again next year.
2nd SHAOLIN CHALLENGE
Denver, NC
The 2nd Annual SHAOLIN CHALLENGE was held in the
beautiful little town of Denver, NC, just a short drive
northwest of Charlotte.
SIFU MARK WILLIAMS, the Promoter and President of the
SKA (Southeast Karate Alliance), was the brains behind the
event. The SKA also in its 2nd year is an up and coming
Sport Karate Organization with a lot of potential. The SKA
also has a working agreement with NASKA, so some of the
nation’s elite tournaments are on board to include the
GATOR NATIONALS, DIXIELAND NATIONALS and the US
OPEN. NASKA rules were enforced in this wonderful event.
The SKA Board of Directors includes DEWEY EARWOOD,
LARRY DILLINGHAM and MARK WILLIAMS.
The SHAOLIN CHALLENGE was an exciting two day event
featuring six well run rings with specialty divisions such as
Continuous Fighting, Musical Divisions, and Physically
Challenged divisions. MEGAN HORTON a 13 yr old from the
BILL DANIELS KARATE SCHOOL was the most impressive
underbelt
youth
competitor on both
days.
She
easily
mowed through her
Continuous division
that night. I was told
that she was an even
better Kata performer
than a fighter.
On Saturday prior
to the start of the
tournament
SIFU
WILLIAMS featured a
video honoring our
fallen soldiers and a
music video of our
National
Anthem.
What
a
classy
patriotic thing to do for a tournament, and I commend SIFU
WILLIAMS for this action.
The rings ran smoothly although they were short a few
judges. I saw a lot of soft style that day and enjoyed it
immensely. The Southeast is lacking in soft style schools.
SIFU WILLIAM’S SHAOLIN KUNG FU SCHOOL featured a lot
of excellent students.
Forms Grand Championship winner BILL DANIELS was
very impressive with his traditional sword form. DANIELS is
a modest, well liked, respected martial artist here in the
Carolinas. Congratulations to World Champion CASS
SIGMON for winning the CAROLINA TRIPLE CROWN for
2012. SIGMON wrapped it up by winning the Men’s Fighting
Grand Championship beating Clyde Dillingham 8-0. SIGMON
is probably the best overall fighter here in the Southeast.
In the youth Underbelt Kata Grand Championship BRADY
COOK of Union County GA impressed all with a great
Yamabushi Kata. I believe that she’s studied Shotokan,
because it sure resembled a Shotokan Kata with the deep
stances.
The Underbelt 18+ Forms winner was DONNIE SIGMON of
the SHOALIN KUNG FU SCHOOL of Denver, GA.
Overall it was a very enjoyable weekend. I got a chance to
see some old friends and view some new up and coming
talent. The next SHAOLIN CHALLENGE will be at a larger
venue to be announced at a later date. To check the
upcoming SKA schedule of tournaments click on to their
web site www.southeastkaratealliance.com .
SIFU MARK WILLIAMS would like to thank all the
competitors, judges, volunteers and spectators who
supported his tournament.
SOUTHEAST KARATE ALLIANCE
Article submitted by the SKA
The Southeast Karate Alliance (SKA) is a martial arts
sanctioning body, that sanctions and promotes martial arts
tournaments in the southeastern coastal United States.
States that have SKA sanctioned tournaments are Virginia,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The
SKA strives to offer fair and professional judging by offering
seminars to have Certified Officials at all SKA events using
NASKA rules. The SKA also has a point system for the
competitors who are members. Points are kept and tallied,
where points champions will be honored and awarded at the
end each year. Not only will the SKA be honoring
competitors who are points leaders, but also recognizing
outstanding officiating, coaching, top teams, and promoters
throughout the region. The SKA is also the home of the
Carolina Triple Crown. Check out our schedule on
www.southeastkaratealliance.com
EAST COAST SPARRING CHAMPIONSHIP
Hickory, NC
The EAST COAST SPARRING CHAMPIONS, a favorite
among Southeast competitors, is also a favorite for me to
cover. NBL WORLD BREAKING CHAMPION SHIHAN DOUG
ARMSTRONG the Chief Instructor of MOUNTAIN VIEW
KARATE in Hickory, NC has always been among the most
popular martial artists in
the country. Attention to
detail is what SHIHAN
ARMSTRONG is all about
and it’s been like that for
years.
Although the numbers
were down this year the
competition was fierce. A
lot of the competitors
were there to sharpen
their skills for the NBL
SUPER
GRANDS
in
Buffalo, NY.
One thing I like about
this tournament is that it
is an ALL fighting event,
no kata, no weapons
etc…. I also like that it
was a double elimination
tournament, so you got
your money’s worth. As always SHIHAN ARMSTRONG
recruits the best Judges in the Southeast such as WORLD
CHAMPIONS GARY DILLINGHAM, JOHNNY WATKINS, JEFF
DOSS, PASTOR PHIL ADDISON, JULAYNE SHIFLETT and
JOEY SHIFLETT and the best of the best PRESTON
RODGERS.
One young fighter who really impressed me was CARSON
ADAMS, a 13 yr old Black Belt from Anderson, SC. ADAMS
is a student of MARTY KNIGHT KARATE, so you know his
students know a thing or two about fighting and winning.
ADAMS bumped up to win the 14-17 Sparring Grand
Championship.
JOSH PAGE, the Chief Instructor of the HICKORY
ACADEMY OF MARTIAL ARTS, went back home with
another Grand Championship Belt to add to his collection.
WORLD CHAMPION CASS SIGMON, Chief Instructor of
SIGMON SPORT KARATE, also breezed through the
competition to win one of dozens of career Grand
Championships. He is as fierce a competitor as you’ll find
anywhere in the world.
Overall I enjoyed myself. I had a chance to see some new
faces I had never seen before and had a chance to renew
old acquaintances. Everyone seemed to have a great time
and many walked away with smiles on their faces.
I did get some disturbing news as I left. SHIHAN
ARMSTRONG notified me that this was his last tournament,
which saddens me a bit. SHIHAN ARMSTRONG always ran
top notch events, with an emphasis on safety, fun, and fair
play. I will miss the trips from Columbia, SC to Hickory, NC.
Good Luck to SHIHAN DOUG ARMSTRONG and his
wonderful following. I hope to someday see them at other
tournaments.
20 Stellar Ideas for Customer Service !
By Allie Alberigo
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
Learn about your customer , Recognize in your industry what turns your customers off, learn how to nip it in the bud.
Gather Feedback whenever necessary
Understanding what a true customers value is – so you work hard to keep them.
Learn how to exceed customers expectations.
Greet Customers as if they were the president of the United States or some other important person on your list.
Learn and develop Charisma and conversation skills.
Give the customer something – create a customer service experience.
Always look your best, and be all that you can be.
Make sure you business always looks like the taj mahal or trump towers.
Develop yourself to be amazing over the phone.
Always act like a gentlemen or women, treat others as you would like to be treated.
Learn each and everyone’s names
Learn to listen.
Exceed all customer expectations and then some.
Take care of all customer issues (complaints or problems) quickly.
Always keep in touch with your clients
Develop a customer service protocol
Get rid of the bad apples – out with the old in with the new.
Always develop a common bond with the client.
Gather intelligence and truly know your customer….
Business is business, is business….. or is that true really true? There are millions of business’ in this world and no matter what type,
there is one common denominator, each business needs customers in order to make money and stay in existence. Gathering intelligence
is one of the key factors to success and as sexy and intriguing as it sounds like some secret spy mission it is one of the most essential
tools of success.
Many companies do not take the time to really develop a good understanding of why a client is doing business with them at all. In some
cases there can be a myriad of reasons and most of the time they do not have anything to do with the price of the product. Quite simply
getting to know your clients and finding out why they are doing or wanting to do business with you and your company can me the
difference of success or failure. Finding out all the intricacies about what makes that customer tick and knowing your clients is essential to
developing a long lasting relationship and keeping that client referring you new clients for years to come.
Here are my steps to getting to know your client.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Develop a system of information gathering. The more information you get the better your business relationship will be in
the future. This could be something as simple as making a list on your computer desk top and asking each client why
they joined and what they expect. Find out what makes that client happy. For example: Do they like to be called back in
the morning, afternoon or evening. What do they consider above and beyond performance. How can in a perfect world
you make that client happiest?
Find out how they prefer to communicate. Do they like email, text, phone calls etc. What is most convenient for them.
What can you do so they listen. Don't assume actually ask them.
Develop a communication network with those clients who like to communicate similarly. For example: those that like
emailing, may enjoy receiving your email newsletter, or possibly they want a secret password to a specific section on
your website that they can go to.
Find out what a client believes to be customer service. What is it they expect. Do they have false expectations or are
not quite sure of what it actually takes to achieve excellence. A short conversation can easily fix any miscommunications
that can result in a lost client or student. What can we do to really develop a team.
Who is in charge of decision making? You may find out you are dealing with someone who has absolutely no control or
decision making abilities within the company. Find out who is in charge, even if you don’t deal with them directly help
make the person who is your go between happy by providing everything the bottom line person likes it. Sometimes in
our school we deal with a mom of a child, when in reality the controlling person is the father. He may not attend classes
and understand the benefits. We need to find out how we communicate with the person in charge.
Last but not least determine how far you will go to make this person happy. Set some guidelines on return policies, make
up policies, how much communication etc. Also, determine rules for what you also expect from the students. Sometimes
at times it is a simple as sitting a student down and working out what each of you expect. It doesn't have to go in any
direction more than the next. Really if any relationship is going to last we must understand each others needs and
desires. It goes both ways.
Allie Alberigo is a father, martial artist, business coach and consultant and owner of L.I. Ninjutsu Centers - www.lininja.com and world
renowned business coaching program www.takingittothenextlevel.com. For more information and a free report on Stellar customer service
email allie at kyoshi@lininja.com.
2013 Action Martial Arts
Magazine Championships
The
2013
Action
Martial
Arts
Magazine
Championships were held at the Tropicana Hotel
and Resort in conjunction with the Action Martial
Arts Hall of Fame Mega Weekend. For the second
consecutive year the tournament was held under
the direction of Tournament Director Master Jose
Torres, drawing over 500 people in attendance with
approximately 200 competitors. Athletes descended
on the Tropicana from New Jersey, New York,
Massachusetts, Delaware, Connecticut, Maryland,
and Pennsylvania. The event also featured
international athletes from as far as Canada and
Puerto Rico.
The Demo Team competition started off the day
and was comprised of the following four 4 teams:
Kan Cobra- New York
Lehigh Valley Martial Arts- Pennsylvania
Team Torres – New Jersey
Fullers Karate- Pennsylvania
We were honored to have Master Mark Russo
from Amerikick Marlton as our Guest Demo Team
Chief
Referee.
The routines were
amazing,
featuring
all
facets of martial
arts
including
breaking, karate,
and
acrobatic
tricks. It was a
close contest but
after
the
calculations were
complete
first
place in the Demo
Team Competition
was awarded to
Team
Torres
Martial
Arts, Edgewater Park, NJ.
As the day progressed the excitement continued.
Over 100 children competitors performed Weapons
and Forms in front of an audience who filled the
hotel ball room. These children ranged in age from
5 to 17 including both boys and girls. For some, this
was their first experience at a tournament and for
seasoned veterans it was part of the NAFMA point
circuit. The children competitors concluded their
day with some remarkable sparring bouts in the
Point Sparring competition.
The days events concluded with the Adult
divisions. Specifically, with intense sparring
matches featured in the mens black belt division.
Ultimately, the 2013 Mens Black Belt Sparring
Champion was crowned to Kyle Reed from TCK
MMA from Plains PA.
Here is a post event email from the Sensei Dana
Eldridge from Lehigh Valley Martial Arts:
Master Torres,
I just wanted to drop you a quick line to say
"Thank You" for once again providing an
exceptional tournament experience for my
students. Also, "Congratulations!" to you and your
team for the 1st Place win. Your kids really looked
great!
My parents have had nothing but good things to
say and we are looking forward to competing with
you again in May…… All the best, Dana
Preparation has already begun for the 2014
Action Magazine Championships. The event looks
to be even bigger and better with its proposed
expansion to a 2 Day Competition, which will be
held on Friday, January 24, 2014 and Saturday,
January 25, 2014. Friday will feature events such as
Self-defense, Demo Team, Musical Forms, and
Point Stick Fighting. Weapons, Forms and Point
Sparring Competitions will be held on Saturday.
We look forward to seeing you at another exciting
event with Grandmaster Alan Goldberg and the
Action Martial Arts Hall of Fame Weekend.
The World Kuoshu Federation 4th World
Championship in Malaysia!
this Historic “Hallmark” Occassion - “The very First and Longest
Running Championships in America”
October 15-18, 2012 – The World Kuoshu Federation (TWKSF), an
organization dedicated to develop and promote traditional Kuoshu
and its physical, mental and emotional benefits, held their 4th World
Championship tournament in Genting, Malaysia. Held every three to
four years in a major city around the world, the World Kuoshu
(Kung Fu) Championships is a world-class Olympic level martial
arts tournament. The best martial artists from around the globe
came to compete in forms, weapons, two man sets and full contact
lei tai fighting.
This year’s tournament was held at the First World Hotel “It was an
incredible setting for any tournament and definitely the most
elegant World Tournament we have ever had. It was really pulled
together by our seasoned TWKSF group of officials and referees
and I would like to personally thank them for their incredible efforts
in making the 4th TWKSF World Tournament a tremendous
success.”
Over the 3 full days of the tournament, more than 20
countries came from around the world to showcase their martial
arts abilities in many different categories. At the end of the event
the United States team took home the Grand Championship 1st
place trophy while Brazil came in 2nd place. The U.S. has won the
Grand Championship at the last two world tournaments, which were
held in Singapore (2006) and Germany (2009).
Master John Buckley, Head Coach of the United States Team,
commented, “With incredible ambassadors to the martial arts such
as Grandmaster Richard Lee, President of the TWKSF, and
Federation Chairman, Grandmaster Huang, Chien Liang leading the
way, each of whom have tirelessly and selflessly promoted Kuo Shu
for more than 40 years, The TWKSF is looking forward to their 5th
World Championship Tournament in 2015, which will be held in a
country to be determined in February of 2013.
THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Competitions here have always been offered for “Staunch”
minded Karate Martial Arts Advocates including Men, Women, and
Children for at least Semi Contact Sparring, H2HC Strong Fighting
Forms, Weapons
For those that Remember(?) This is where through the years the
Original Pioneers, Leaders, Fighters, have become known, and
many Action Stars were born!!! It was here that many Martial Arts
Systems* & Personalities** got their start w/o prejudice - all that had
the guts were welcome!
This event, through the years has drawn Proven Martial Art
Legends, Pioneers, Past/Present Military Law Enforcement,
Civilians, Champions and Eagles. The “Old School” Discipline,
Awards, and Action lived “here”. And, as “we did” with the early
(1963 to date) Pioneers, Fighters, and Legends, “we” gave them a
“platform” for all to show off their troops and school quality.
Our 2013 -50th Championships began with a Call to Order and The
National Anthem, And God Bless America sung beautifully by “The
Famous Ms. P.J. Parker. Once Formalities and Introductions were
completed the Competitions began This years Annual IAMA Classic
Championships drew a decent crowd of competitors - Men, Women,
Children, from All Varieties of Martial Arts Systems which is the
intent of Shihan Alexanders events for the past 50 years. We give
the Competitors a chance to match skills against a variety of
Tactics, Strategies, and Fighting against the full range Methods of
Punching, Kicking, Blocking, Tripping, Sweeping while maintaining
the rules of mandatory contact in sparring. Winning here has been a
worthy achievement! The Competition was challenging in all
divisions including Fighting Forms, Weapons and Sparring whereas
the Winners were awarded Special 50th Anniversary Trophies for
Since 1963 Shihan Gary Alexander having started the “First” of
Annual Karate Championships in North America, now 50 years
running (documented), has always been intent on making his “Open
to All Styles” Karate Championships worthy for the Leaders,
Competitors and Winners to be Introduced, and to Test their
formidable manly/womanly Skills with gusto
These GA/IAMA 50th Championships ran smoothly and
expeditiously without injury regardless of the Mandatory Contact
Rules, and this was due to the attendance of many high ranking
Black Belts (listed above) that volunteered their Expertise as
Judges, Controllers, and Referees. Much appreciated by all!
Tournament of Champions (KToC)
Hanshi Rick Diaz’s Karate Tournament of Champions (KToC)
took center stage once again with another great event this past
November. Despite a stroke early in the year and the wrath of
Hurricane Sandy which forced a last minute change of venue,
KToC 2012 had
well over 500
competitors and
1000 spectators
from all over the
world including
Puerto
Rico,
India, Chicago,
Florida and the
tri State area.
The event, now
known as KToC
Nationals/KToC
Grappling,
has
proven to be one
of
the
best
martial
arts
venues around, featuring all styles of martial arts and a fantastic
array of grappling. Diaz took a lot time in 2012 working to improve
various aspects of his event including hosting Professional Sport
Karate League (PSKL) judging clinics. Diaz maintains strong
communications with his powerhouse team consisting of PSKL
President Mike Conroy as ring coordinator, World Champion Jadi
Tention as fight coordinator and Garth Binns, Dave Moradi and
Benjamin Paris as arbitrators. Oscar Marrero, John Rullan, Abdul
Aziz, Spider Rodriguez, Juan Jiminez, Alfred Hinds and many
others worked tirelessly as they ran their rings smooth and
efficiently.
Some of the best fighters and forms competitors in the world
were competing to be #1 at KToC. KToC 2012 had numerous
special guests including Hanshi Bill Solano and his team from
Puerto Rick, Tae Kwon Do’s Paul Kyo and Shotokan's Grand Master
Toyotaro Miyazaki who was escorted by Master Kai Leung and
Sensei Eddie Concepcion of Shotojuku Karate-Do enjoyed KToC's
vast array of talented competitors.
There was a great sense of unity at KToC. Diaz's hard work
showed as everyone involved from coordinators to center refs,
judges to score and time keepers worked as a one team. Promoters
Mark Gorham, Al Gambardella, Bashta Jr. and Sr. Lee Ireland,
Bobby Beltran, Robert Hylton, Jackie Drayton, Maggie Messina and
Sonny WIlliams Jr. showed that working together is the foundation
to making a great event. 2013 KToC National/KToC Grappling is
offering over $15, 000 in cash and awards. Mens and Womens
fighting grands will have equal payouts and new cash award for
Senior grands as well as open hand and weapons grand. Youth
Grand will receive Dr. Dre Beats. KToC National/KToC Grappling
will be held at Queens College on November 17, 2013. For pics and
videos of previous years please visit www.karatetoc.com
By :Master John Burdyck
â&#x20AC;&#x153; Who Always tells it like it isâ&#x20AC;?
year. On a positive note, as I travel this great country of ours, I have
noticed that the events have become much less prejudice For the
most part everyone is being judged tnot on the color of their skin, or
JIU-JITSU And Grappling
Competitions
I can not tell you how pleased I am to see alot of the tournament
promoters in this country, now including JIU-JITSU and Grappling
divisions at there tournaments. Its not only good for the competitors
to have these new divisions, but the promoters now have another
avenue of revenue to keep there event profitable so they are able to
have an event for years to come. What we need to work on now is to
have all the martial arts promoters using the same rules, for both Gi,
and no Gi divisions. I will not mention the name of this promoter
because I told I would give him a chance to never do this again. At his
event, in the no Gi competition he was allowing "GROUND AND
POUND" Not only had the athletic commission have found out would
he have been shut down, but he had no insurance to cover that
event. If a competitor would have gotten hurt it would have been a
very tragic situation for the health and well being of both the
competitor, and the promoter. Tournament promoters still, after all
these years must become more professional. Most events do not
start on time, they do not give out the prize money, and trophies
that are promised. The scorekeepers, and timekeepers are not
trained properly so all this must be cleaned up, so everyone can have
a great day and look forward to supporting the event the following
the name on their uniform. I am extremely pleased to see this. At the
professional MMA events the cheating is at an all time high, but as
the athletic commissions start to catch on to this the promoters and
competitors will end up in jail as the sport starts to correct itself. The
UFC events are very well organized and the prize money is escalating
to an alltime high. Unfortunately this is what exactly it is that
organized crime looks for, I truly believe because of the integrity of
most martial arts promoters that the corruption in our sport will
never ever be what it is in boxing.
If you have news or notes about MMA in the future please contact
me at 443-299-2047. Email: johnburdyck@comcast.net or
www.burdyck.com
OUSH!!
The Action Martial Arts Hall of Honors Mega Weekend
bills itself as â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Ultimate Destinationâ&#x20AC;?
For Martial Arts and once again lived up to that billing.
By Jerome Maida
Freelance writer for the Philadelphia Daily News
Action Martial Arts Magazine's "Hall of Honors" Mega-Weekend
bills itself as "The Ultimate Destination For Martial Arts - and for the
13th year in a row, proved that was not hyperbole. "The greatest
thing about it is we have probably the top martial arts people and
champions at one time coming to our event", says organizer (and
publisher of this magazine) Alan Goldberg. Indeed, with most other
events, martial artists as legendary as Cynthia Rothrock, Don "The
Dragon" Wilson and Bill "Superfoot" Wallace would be the main maybe only - headliners. At the 2013 Hall of Honors , they were
merely an impressive part of an incredible lineup that included
nearly 24 world champions and MA stars.
"Hall of Honors was a fantastic event. It keeps getting better and
better every year, even though it seems almost impossible to do",
says Rothrock, who has made every Hall of Honors since it's
inception and convinced friend Kevin Sorbo ("Hercules: The
Legendary Journeys") to attend this year. "It's the biggest martial
arts event in the world and a very classy event. Alan knows how to
do it right." "There were successful (vendors) and Thousands of
people were there", says Rothrock. "There were new stars..some
new fans...some new martial artists...There's really something for
everybody and it's just such an amazing time and the only thing
that upset me was that it seemed over so quickly! Alan makes this
unique and apart from every other martial arts event in so many
ways."
Don "The Dragon" Wilson agrees. He says he has been to every one
except the first one and last year's, which he missed because he
was working on a film. He credits Goldberg with being the main
reason for his anticipation. "I went to it (the second year of the
event) and I saw what a great guy Alan was. He is the (definitive)
Master of Ceremonies, you know?", he says. "It's a great event that's true - but if he was like an egotistical kind of jerk or whatever,
it would not maintain the success it has year after year."
"He treats us (martial arts celebrities) so generously", Don Wilson
continues. "First of all, (most promoters) if they get an audience, it's
all about them. You know what I mean? They get an audience (and)
they're the ones that are going to be holding up the microphone
and talk about everything and talk about what they did - I call it, 'Me,
me, me'. That's what usually happens. Alan is the only one that is
just the opposite", Don Wilson goes on. "For him, it's all about his
his, quote, 'Celebrity Martial Artists' (that) he brings in. It's about
them, their accomplishments...taking care of ALL the people that
are there and making sure they're comfortable. I travel all over the
world - and there's just never been a better host of an event than
Alan
Goldberg."
"The event experience is great and it's a great venue. Of course
those are big (reasons) I came out. But I've been to other big events
and other nice venues and they did not have a quote 'Master of
Ceremonies' like Alan - and if they didn't pay me the money, I
wouldn't go", Don Wilson says with a chuckle. "With them, if I didn't
get big bucks, I wouldn't go. But Alan's is a different thing."
"You may be able to to do it once or twice, right", asks Don Wilson.
"Maybe three times, because it may take a while to reach so many
people - to find out that you're just an egotistical guy, right? It may
take a while, but you can't get to 13 (shows and foll everybody).
He's been doing it every year and everybody loves him more every
year and that's why every year the show's sold out and the dinner's
sold out." Don Wilson also says the amazing collection of talent
Goldberg assembled for the event - which includes not only
Rothrock, Wallace, Sorbo and himself, but stunt woman and threetime WKA World Kickboxing Champion Cheryl Wheeler-Duncan;
Olympic gold-medalist and WBO Heavyweight Champion boxer Ray
Mercer; stunt woman and 9-time world champion martial artist
Christine Bannon-Rodrigues - is a huge reason he made sure to
come this year. "He had some different celebrities. so I got to spend
some time with Kevin Sorbo and Mark Grove, a guy who I've worked
with in films before and that's different for me", says Don Wilson.
"Usually it's the same - the usual suspects - and I see the same
people. But it was all different this year because he had some
different guests and he did some different things. BannonRodrigues also felt the breadth and depth of talented stars on hand
helped make the Hall of Honors a unique experience. "The Action
Martial Arts Hall of Honors is always such a fun event", she says. "(I
got) to see all my friends from all over the country and (was)
making new friends as well!""Mr. Goldberg always outdoes himself
from year to year!", Bannon-Rodrigues continues. We all put this
date aside, a year in advance, and do all we can to be there! Hats off
to Mr. G for all his hard work and for bringing so many Martial
Artists together under one roof! And also for his hard work at
getting
new
celebrities
to
be
guests
each
year!"
Bannon-Rodrigues was one of over 20 world champions out of a
whopping 60 martial artists total that gave free seminars. Don
Wilson was another "You can't do it, right?", he asks rhetorically. "I
teach them the technique, show them what soft areas of the body
are there that you can hit...then if someone attacks as soon as they
walk out the door after "The Dragon"'s seminar, they can utilize
what i teach right then. It's not going to take them years...(it will
only
take)
an
hour."
Don Wilson says what he teaches is very simple: You figure out
what your target is and go for it. "That's what I taught", he says. "I
still believe that the core of martial arts is self-defense. (That's why)
I don't teach kickboxing (there), even though I can. If somebody
wants to do the sport of kickboxing..that's an easy seminar for me.
No doubt...There are people who just like the sport of kickboxing,
but at Alan's event, I feel it is an all-martial arts audience (so) I
teach self-defense." Don's brother James Wilson had a multitude of
reasons for liking the event 0ne of them being it helped give their
just-launched clothing line, Traditionz, featuring "the Dragon" and
"Lady Dragon" Cynthia Rothrock on hoodies and t-shirts, exposure,
further branding and, of course, sales at the event.
"As far as Traditionz, it (Hall of Honors) was great for it", says
James Wilson. "Just the fact that Don and Cynthia were both there
to promote it was tremendous - and we sold a LOT of shirts. Even
more exciting than that, we found a lot of the people who bought
the shirts, put them on (and) were walking the halls with them and
making more people aware of the. So that's kind of rewarding.
(Plus), having Cynthia there, as an extra bonus, some people were
buying them and having Don and Cynthia sign them." "Cynthia and
Don did their seminars i them and this way people could see they
were of good quality", he continues, who adds that was a goal of
their business partner and apparel guru, Joe Simsolo as well as his
brother and Rothrock. "They are designed and made in the USA
also
and
they
are
available
worldwide."
James Wilson also used the weekend to hammer out a venture in
which both Don Wilson and Rothrock will be promoting Genesis
Today, nutritional food and natural supplement company co-owned
PROTECTS people from all of that. At all the other events, I can feel
the stress. Either things aren't running quite on time or this wasn't
done or that wasn't done and guys are running around, you know,
with scowls on their faces because, you know, something didn't go
right.""I'm not talking about the people working - I'm talking about
the paying customers or the competitors...there's scowls on their
faces because they've waited too long (for something to start) but
somehow Alan keeps all these things running smooth ... and
everybody - EVERYBODY - is in a good mood. You know, that's
extremely rare for any event - especially one of that size."
One of the highlights of James Wilson's weekend at the Hall of
Honors came when his brother Don and good friend Rothrock
received Lifetime Achievement Awards - sponsored by Goldberg's
magazine and Genesis Today. It was a special moment for Genesis
Today's co-owner Wheeler-Duncan as well, who couldn't stop
gushing about the Hall of Honors as a whole. "This year was my
first year attending Alan's event", says Wheeler-Duncan. "James
and Don 'The Dragon' Wilson invited me to go this year... I had
heard about it previously over the years... Many of my martial art
movie friends attended every year... James Lew loved going and
always had amazing things to say about it... Same with Don and
Cynthia (Rothrock)... I had plans to go last year, but had a business
conflict and had to cancel at the last minute" "I finally made it this
year and I was not disappointed!!! It was a blast from the moment I
arrived at The Tropicana! "From the private dinner that night
hosted by the gracious Alan Goldberg and attended by many
celebrity martial artists and film stars, to the Wine & Cheese Party
on Friday night where James, Alan and I presented two special
Lifetime Achievement Awards to Don Wilson and Cynthia Rothrock,
amidst much wine, cheese and dancing (lol!), moving on to exciting
Shihan Negliaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ROC MMA fights to a sold out crowd, to Saturday's
tremendous event which included a slew of seminars taught by
famous martial artists from around the world, film screenings, expo
booths filled with the best of the best from the martial arts world,
Master Torres ran a well run karate tournament featuring talented
contestants and the chance to mix and mingle with the legends and
greats of the martial arts world!!! I thought I had died and gone to
heaven at this event and kept running into many old friends, old
opponents (Elba "Cookie" Melendez), famous fighters from my
tournament days, and many actors and stunt people I've worked
with on films over the years" she adds. "Egos were left at the door,
and everyone was treated as an equal and everyone had a
wonderful time!!! It was "old home week" for me and everyone
by Wheeler-Duncan and her husband, Dr. Lindsey Duncan. He also
took
As for the Hall of Honors itself, James Wilson finds it an incredibly
unique, positive experience. "The thing that makes this event so
rare is that even though it's packed full of people, everyone's pretty
much (positive and) polite. Everybody's having fun (and ) it's real
obvious", says James Wilson. There's a little excitement
EVERYWHERE and one of the things I noticed (from the outset was)
was even though they have all these celebrity booths and you get to
talk to them (there) and look at the equipment, you really can't go
anywhere at the event where you can walk ten feet and not bump
into
a
celebrity."
James Wilson says that unlike pop culture cons, where all the
celebrities charge for an autograph, you are able to approach
martial arts celebrities at the Hall of Honors on the floor, in the hall,
at the Wine and Cheese Dance Party, at the event's banquet and
pretty much everywhere in the Tropicana. "So that's why I came this
year, because I remember what a great experience it was", says
James Wilson. "My God! You have people who have been in martial
arts for years smiling and dancing, you know? Guys cracking
jokes. It's the ONLY event like that where people are so..happy to be
around each other. I don't know how to describe it. The feeling...it's
different
than
any
other
event."
"The other events are noisy", he continues. There's always a lot of
stress going on - and somehow Alan (eliminates) all of that. He
else! I couldn't have scripted a better time, or scripted spending my
time with more talented and kind people! I had an awesome time
and can't say enough great things about how Alan kept the entire
event running smoothly and uniformly... At the same time, he
floated from room to room and person to person, making sure all
was okay and that everyone was happy! I was in awe of Alan and
his expertise... I offered a full sponsorship to him through my
nutritional company Genesis Today for next years event on the
spot! I love what he is doing with this event and the service and fun
that he is providing the martial arts community as a whole... I
highly recommend all martial artists to attend this one of a kind
event in the years to come!!! I won't miss another one that is for
sure!" Theresa Zaino, Owner/Operator of Action Entertainment
Talent Agency, says she has attended almost every Hall of Honors
since it's inception. "We've grown as the event has grown - and I
don't think that's a coincidence", says Zaino. "We (husband and
CEO of MASBTV Danny Zaino and herself) were there this year, with
our martial arts TV, radio and magazine..mainly doing interviews for
our online TV show....and like every year it was just a great
experience. It seems to get better and better and we had a blast this
year. We had some great interviews, made some contacts for our
business..we had a successful event and a great time " "I call Alan's
event the red-carpet event for Hall of Fames", Zaino continues.
"You can compare it to the Oscars."Zaino says she appreciates
how Goldberg has actually made the event grow every year and
added new staples, like the Wine and Cheese dance Party on Friday
night. "Thursday night he has a dinner with the stars, Friday is the
Wine and Cheese Dance party, he now has a...martial arts
tournament, over 50 free seminars and I don't even know how many
vendors booths - they went on for miles", says Zaino, who is
impressed with how the celebrity roster for the event seems to get
bigger and more impressive with each passing year. "We got to
meet Kevin Sorbo. I've never met 'Hercules' before", she exclaims.
"There were a few TV stations I haven't seen before either..Every
year, he has something new - which means the event continues to
grow - which is a great sign!" "From the moment it starts until the
moment it ends, we're just laughing and having a good time", she
adds. "Even if you're working, it doesn't seem like you're working and you're disappointed if you don't see somebody from the
previous year and then you hope to see them the next year and
hope to see them the next year as well." "Even the stars are
starstruck here!", Zaino concludes." The public definitely got their
money's worth that's for sure!" Khadi Madama, who attended the
event as part of the MMA Fight Council, says she was excited that
they had some MMA fights at the event for the first time this year. "I
have been there almost every year, since the early days, in various
capacities", says Madama. "In the early days (I went) just because I
I am a martial artist and just wanted to be part of the event. Then I
went because they were giving me an award. Now, the past two
years, I go on Behalf of MMA Fight Council "This is the place to be
if you have a product or a service in regards to martial arts", she
says. "Even if you don't have a service and are simply a student,
there just so much to be gained being able to talk to accomplished
martial arts celebrities like Cynthia Rothrock or Dan "The Beast"
Severen. He's really not very much of a beast, though. He's such a
wonderful gentleman!" "Chuck Zito was here this year and he's a
great guy as well", Madama continues. "With everyone else, no one
seems to mention James Lew a lot and he's certainly a
celebrity...That might be just because he's certainly a nice man as
well and he's very humble." "But certainly, if you are a martial
artist and interested in martial arts...(the Hall of Honors) is a
banquet for the eyes", she goes on. "You're kind of like a kid in a
candy store, because once you're in the door there's seminars and
fabulous people speak with who are also friendly and warm and
want to share who they are - and what they know - with you.
Everyone is just great there." Madama says most of the credit for
that should go to Goldberg. "Of course, it's Alan's event and he's
always there and i have a nickname for him called "The Paragon",
says Madama. "Because he is kind of a paragon, you know?... He
has such charisma. he has this persona and (the result is) it's a
wonderful event, really."I can sum up my feelings about the Hall of
Honors this way", Madama concludes. "When I got my Hall of
Honors award, I went home and cried for a couple of days. I was
telling myself that I couldn't believe what had just happened. I think
it's like everyone's dream in martial arts - everyone wants an award
at the Hall of Honors from 'Action' and Alan because it is the
highest award, the pinnacle I think for an award. It's really the
highest honor..for the martial artist getting an award for the first
time, it's overwhelming - in a good way. It's wonderful - so is the
whole event, really".
Master Apolo Ladra, who is trying to
spread the Kali Curriculum, a Filipino fighting program, is another
notable guest who appeared at the Hall of Honors for the first time
this year. "I got invited by Master Alan Goldberg for many years and
this is the first time I ever made it - and now I really regret not
coming those other times", he says. "I met all the people I used to
compete with and all the...people I used to associate with, all the
top Masters. It's really an awesome event." "If it's going to be run
the way it was this year every year - and it is from what I heard from
all the other Masters - it gets better and better every year", he
continues. "So I'm definitely going to be there again next year. I was
one of the vendors. I was one of the vendors. I was promoting my
Kali..program. We have simply organized a Kali Curriculum that any
contemporary school can complement what they have. ...to work on
student protection and also (get) kids working on a weapons-based
program." Master Ladra says he was helped by being in a
prominent spot during the Hall of Honors. "Oh gosh, we were right
in the front so everybody had to pass us and there fore we had a lot
of people inquiring about our program", he said. "I know we got, I
believe, close to 178 people seriously interested in the process of
implementing Kali." Master Ladra says one of the highlights for him
was reconnecting with someone he had not seen in decades. "I
went to Russia 20 years ago and Grand Master Nikolai Smirnoff was
one of the guests over there and I hadn't seen him again until this
year's Hall of Honors and we had a great time", he says. "So the
event is an incredible way is a great way to reconnect with old-time
martial arts fighters - and part of the reason for that is the
organization - so i commend them for that." Perhaps Master Mark
Grove can sum up the feelings everyone seems to have and share
regarding this year's Hall of Honors. "My experience at Alan
Goldberg’s Hall of Honors event was illuminating. Being in the
martial arts for over 40 years I have seen so much political infighting in the various systems about which teachers were better,
which style was superior, which organization had the most
notoriety. None of that negative energy ever surfaced. So, in the
end, this event is much more than Action Stars, Martial Arts
Legends, Merchandise Vendors, and Seminars… The Hall of Honors
is a place where egos are discarded to embrace the spirit of a
universal brotherhood, where regardless of style or affiliation,
martial arts practitioners are recognized for their personal
contributions. I find this very hopeful."
Our Dates are set for next year, Jan 24, 25 & 26, 2014 . Once
again we will be bringing you our Friday night Wine and Cheese
dance party, Friday and Sat Expo and trade show, Martial Arts Film
viewings, NAPMA Business seminar, M.A. Business forum, Our
MMA & Karate Tournament, 0ver 60 free seminars. The Hall of
Honors Banquet …. Now you know use at Action we cant just
repeat the same thing every year ! So we added on for 2014 a
expanded Expo & Trade show Now adding Sunday 8 AM – 3 PM , a
VIP Breakfast Buffet
on Sunday and a Sunday BBJ Open
Tournament .
Check Out Our Websites WW.ActionMagStore.com ( for
Registration
and
The
Action
HOH
store)
WWW.HoHMega.com ( For the Best In Updated Info ) &
www.Actionpresents.com (for Sponsorship opportunities
and more , Charity Partnerships site )
We Just Want to All Sifu’s, Sensei’s, Master’s and GrandMasters for your support and hope to see you again next year .
New 2013 Inductee’s
Floyd Smith, NimrR.Hassan, Thomas Gettling, Samuel Kwok, Mark Shuey Sr., Allen Woodman, Frank Williams,Charles ehrentrau,
Seitu Kenyatta, Derrick Trent, Jack C. Shamburger, Verrone Romeoletti, Alex Prieto,Darren Delaney,Phil Cunningham Jr.,William
Mallory,Kenneth Mackenzie, Won Jin Kim, Chung Chow, Renzo Gracie,Rico Guy,Michael Baldwin, Gregory Davis, Clifford C.
Crandall Jr., Bhee Sung Choi, G.J.Torres, Johnny G. BalazinskiM.A. Family Fitness, Tony Lingo, Rayot A.Difate, Albert Casale,
Joe Rebelo, Alexey Leviskiy, Sergi Lisitcin, Alexey Kuznetsov, Sherrieshedier Jones, George Wilson, Steven Turk, Mark
Speranza, Michael Karim Ratcliff, Richard Petronelli, Sergey Dmitriev, Vladislav Baytokov, Hamid Lahrizi, Dr. Kevin Hufford,
Reynardo Gutierrez, Mark Grove, Robert S.Gonzalez, Gregory Glover, Naimah Lewis, Michael Abitabile, Aleksey Volkov, Yusuf A.
Muhammad, Samuel Alvarado, Luceus Brown, Michael Parrella, Alex Hunter, Aleve Dennis Sr, Derek Mcgee, Deborah Hayes,
Dr. Sheryl
WulkanEvgeniy Pokrovskiy, Alexander Nikolaev, Vyacheslav
Andre Welch, Wilberto Lamberty Jr., Sergey Zelgin, Oleg
Polishchuk,
Brattsev, Sergey Bezrukov, James Jefferson, Oscar Garcia, Mike Bilbay, Christopher Primus Ward Sr., Viktor Sosnovskiy, Anton
Potebnia, Alexander Polovinkin, Marat
Magadeev, Savvon Inna, Elizabeth Moore, Melodee Meyer, Eugene McKenzie, Jerry
Riveria, Qaheem O. Hassan, John Morgan Hamilton, Shannon B. Edwards, Michael Borgesen, Patrick Bamburak, Yuriy Khegay,
Ryan Meade, Patricia Meade, La Deva M. Davis, Ian Nurse, Alexander Veselov, Kiirill Kolonshin, Sergey Gornyy, Ryan Patterson,
Phil Scholl, Kimbar Johnson, Phillip Trent, L. Denise Scoggins, Vanessa Herrera, Guest Herrera, Mel Gutic, Carlos M. Soto,
Roland E. Ennis, Robin Tolson, Lino Rosado, Robert Carucci, Herman Blakely, Mats Tverin, Carlos A. Garcia, Charles Cantu,
Richard Kahn, Clete Montgomery, Jerome Magnum, Eton Kwok, Claribel DelaRosa, Dmitry Shapiro, Jane Ray, Noreen
Gadonniex, George Fransico, Phillip Davis, Kenneth Magnum, David Cutler, Kenny Wilks, Linda RamzyRanson, Ramil
Gabbasov,Reggie Harris, Archie D. Perry, Richard Rosen, Lisa Scott, Carl Outram, Brian Tate, Michelle Richardson, Balfour
Wright, Jonathan Edmondson, Greg Pichardo, Aleksandrs Sosnin, Igor Pasko, Aleksandrs Dudoladovs, Irwin Guttloff,
Jacqueline Drayton, Kenneth Roberts, Robert P. DeAngelis, Domingo Colon, Aleksandr Solovev, Oleg Pelipas, Edward Yuncza,
Fu Weems, Neko Gettling, Tselestin Tsykhtsinski, Lu Dwyer, Theresa & Danny Zanio, Al Yisrael, Renzo Gracie Dr Robert
Goldman William Chatfield Nick Limbo, John Kenny, Ceasar Perez, Joseph M. Victory, , Roger Evans Samantha Kostek,
Past Returning Inductees
Hud Huddleston Sr., Timmy Prisk, Michael Wolent Jr., James Willis, Alex Wilkie, Don Vitale, Michael Violi, Angela Violi, Steven
Turk, Theodore J.Vick, Daughu Thomas, Diana Prado, Craig Adams, Nelson Torres, Ron Smiith, Dennis Montez, David Taylor,
Gina Tatum, Fred Catanzariti, Frank & Kathy Tasatano, Timur Mukhamedov,Andrew Stigliano, Jimmy Stewart, Kenneth
Spellman, Silvio Simac, Dave Johnson, Derrick Nicholas, Mickey Thorbeck, Eric Sonntag, John Rivera, Chris Serras, Henry
Schmidt III, Mark Schiffman, Joe Saladino, Bakhtiyor Roziroz, Henry Rodriquez, David Rodrigues, William Rivera, Derrick Lamont
Richardson, Richard Gamboa, Rui Ribeiro,Richard Reinheimer, R.D. Hondolero Apolo Ladra, Petronelli Ishmael Parker, Shahin
Niknejad, Joseph NG, Soke- Dai Nemeroff, Josie Murray, Gene Montague, Odie Molina, Mary Molina, Hank Minitrez, Daniel
Allebach, Joesph Mertz, Betty Serritella, McGrath, Polly Melick, Gary J. Melick, Elba "Cookie" Melendez, Mark Magee, Nate
Meade, Rondy McKee, Patrick M.Matthews, Wesley D. Spires, Randall Lucas, Larry Ziegler, Miguel Thunderfist Lopez Sr., Jose
Garcia, John Libutti, Winslow Lewis, Guy Larke, David Shepherd, Eric Kovaleski, Anika Khan, Amer Khan, Kecic Thomas
Sconzo, Cliff Kupper, Robert Bull Sr, Anthony Jackson, Daryl L.Jackson, Mark Ingemi, Keith English, Julie Greene, Christopher
Blackwell, Frank Huff, Durand Howard, Robert Hernandez, George Klinedinst, Timothy J.Hartman, Gregory Josey, Darby Ware,
Gary Pointer, Dale Smith, Timothy P. Hollywood, Frederick E. Curry III, Timothy A. Gilbert, James Robinson, Kai Evers, Michael
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The Yellow Brick Road to Movies,
Modeling, and Martial Arts
by Sheri Larsen
Jeremiah Smith has it all: looks, smarts, talent, and
toughness. And at the spry age of twelve, such attributes
could easily give
him a bloated sense
of
self.
They
haven’t. He and his
family credit that
success
to
the
world of Martial
Arts, which helps
him focus on the
value of humility,
respect, hard work,
and appreciation of
personal success.
Senior
Grand
Master Hee Kwan
Lee’s
Korean
Martial Arts Hap Ki
Do Academy in
Battle
Creek
Michigan is where
Jeremiah trains and has studied Hap Ki Do for just under
five years. He received his second degree black belt from
the I.H.F., which is recognized worldwide through the
Korean government. As part of the U.S. I.H.F. Korean Martial
Arts Youth Demonstration Team, he’s traveled within state
to Canada and as far away as Seoul, South Korea.
Through competitions, Jeremiah continues to exhibit the
trademark Martial Arts characteristics of dedication and
loyalty. His love for exercise and health-conscious attitude
has made his training more acceptable and also afforded
him the opportunity to compete in different martial arts style
and tournaments, where he has attained many gold medals
and titles. International and Regional tournaments he’s
competed in range from the National Hap Ki Do tournament
in Seoul, South Korea in 2009 and the 23rd Annual Arnold
Schwarzenegger Martial Arts Sports Festival in Columbus,
Ohio in 2011, to the World Martial Arts Tournament in Battle
Creek, MI in 2012 and more.
His supportive parents encourage Jeremiah anyway they
can, whether by reworking their schedules, providing
downtime for him, or just being there. They also credits his
level-headedness to the care he receives from his amazing
team of instructors—Senior Grand Master Hee Kwan Lee,
Grand Master Bob Schreiner, Grand Master Frank Sacchetta
(Saulte Ste, Marie, Canada), Master Juan Rangel, Master
Rick Brown, and Master Jason Ricker. Their support of
Jeremiah the person, not only the athlete, has encouraged
him to extend himself through Martial Arts and in other
areas of his life. He takes pride in sharing what he’s learned
by assisting Martial Arts classes, being an example to his
peers. School is also an important part of what makes this
young man who he is, achieving high honors during his
most recently completed school year.
With the achievements Jeremiah has already gathered,
one would think he’s found his path in life—his yellow brick
road. But there is much more to himself that he looks
forward to exploring. Jeremiah has a love of football, water
skiing, knee boarding, and tubing with friends. Snow skiing
is another one of his athletic outlets as is playing video
games and spending leisure time with friends. He’s a fan of
turkey sandwiches and action movies, but not so fan-crazed
over the occasional extra pushups and stomach exercise
ordered by his instructors when he’s caught goofing off.
Jeremiah has a playful side, a fun side that fuels his zest for
life to become all he can be. At a young age, he entertained
his parents by play-acting as often as he could. This
eventually led him to extend himself more, trying his hand at
professional modeling and acting. He’s been cast in two
short movies—“Gemini” and “The Last Witness”, both in
2012—and has done some modeling as
a signed model with Richard Emerich of Model Teenz out of
Enfield, CT. The field of modeling and acting has reinforced
the lessons he’s learned through the martial arts world.
“Auditioning for acting roles or modeling gigs takes lots of
patience, just like with training in martial arts. The
disappointments teach me to believe in myself even more
and keep trying,” says Jeremiah.
The future is wide open for Jeremiah, limitless options.
Short term, he’s looking forward to competing in Seoul,
South Korea in 2013 for the 9th Triennial International Hap
Ki Do Championship and the Moo Moo Kwan Hap Ki Do
Championships. During his upcoming high school years
and beyond, he’d like to attend college and remain a role
model to younger kids.
Blending his experience of martial arts, movies, and
modeling, he’d like to perfect his skills and use them as a
stunt double in the film industry. With his talents, his
support system of parents and instructors, and his
adventurous side, Jeremiah Smith’s name will surely be
etched someday in his very own yellow brick road of
success.
Sparring Cancer
Using MA Skills
Most three year olds have loads of energy. Some have a
bit more. And some need distractive interventions for
balancing it all.
Meet Jonathan Bland. At the age of three, he was that
child. The one brimming with electric energy. So much so
that it limited his attention span and led him to frustration
and anger issues. Introducing him to TaeKwonDo was the
arena his parents chose to give him structure and the ability
to help himself. And it was a hit.
Jonathan made an instant connection with the sport, and
the ability to focus his energies in positive ways began to
grow. In a short three years, (which put him at the young
age of only six), he achieved his probationary black belt and
knew in his heart he wanted to spread his passion for TKD
with other kids. He tested for instructor shortly afterwords.
He’s been assisting classes since the age of nine, even
shouldering the responsibility of keeping class on track
while a smaller group is taken aside for individual help.
Training and teaching classes four hours a day nearly six
days a week has peeled away Jonathan’s shy layers,
instilling within him humble confidence and maturity his
mother is proud of. Now, at the age of ten, he holds the rank
of assistant instructor. The skill to concentrate his energies
has improved dramatically over time; he simply loves
helping other kids learn the art of TKD.
But moments prior to a tournament in March of 2012, he
began experiencing leg pain. It was reasonable to believe
he’d merely strained a muscle during his heavy training in
preparation for the event. So as most athletes would do, he
backed off from training to recover. The pain disappeared.
Unfortunately, it
returned. It was
cancer.
After a routine
ten-year-old
well-child visit
to his doctor,
an x-ray, and
biopsy at Riley
Hospital
in
Indianapolis, it
was determined
that Jonathan
suffered
from
Ewing’s
Sarcoma—a
rare type of
cancer affecting
the bones. The
tumor
was
found in about
six inches of
his left femur
bone.
Chemotherapy
was the first
step to control
the
tumor
followed by surgery, on January 2nd, 2013, to remove the
cancerous bone. Surgical screws, plates, and a cadaver
bone now fill the space that was once healthy.
Jonathan hit this challenge with the same determination he
spars with, and positive attitude he exerts while breaking
boards. He’s been relentless about continuing good grades
at school and keeping life as normal as possible, which
amazes his parents and doctors.
“He goes to school, when he's not in the hospital, and has
kept up with his work, which is pretty much unheard of.
They (the doctors) say most kids can't handle the treatment
schedule and studies, and just skip a year of school,” says
Dana, Jonathan’s mom. But for a middle grader in love with
hot wings and spinach pizza yet turns his nose up to cheese
and potatoes, Jonathan seems set to be true to himself, firm
in his own ways.
His family attributes his outlook and progress to his
martial arts training, tackling each element head on—a
never quit attitude, inspiring those around him. “Don’t
worry,” Jonathan has been known to say. “I’m going to be
just fine.” He believes cancer came into his life for a reason
and also dismisses the doctor’s caution that he might not
be able to return to martial arts. Jonathan surely has learned
to channel that toddler anger and hyper energy into
something tangible and motivating—an example for youth
athletes and adults everywhere.
Extraction of bone material can take a year, even more, to
fully heal, giving the patient full mobility, strength, and
usage of the limb. Jonathan has been unable to train since
August due to weakening of the bone the biopsy left behind
and how Chemotherapy slows down the healing
process. He’s a martial artist on metal crutches, right now,
but continues to visit classes and assist when he can.
Turning eleven years old this summer will bring Jonathan
his probationary 3rd degree test. He’s determined to get
back to training and be ready. He can’t wait.
Shawn Eisensmith
Shawn
Eisensmith who
will be turning 10
this April, he
began
karate
classes back in
early 2011. He
tried football and
swimming in the
past but neither
sport
really
inspired
him.
His
parents
talked
about
signing him up
for some basic
karate classes. Shawn comes from a family of black belt
achievers in Shaolin Kempo karate, so they felt that he
should give it a try. He was really excited to begin,
especially since he wanted to follow in his Dad's footsteps.
He enjoyed the classes so much and has been involved in
the martial arts ever since.
Shawn participated in a winter camp at his local martial
arts school where he learned a basic katana form. He fell in
love with the sword after that and it quickly became his
favorite traditional weapon.
Shawn's instructor at the time saw how hard he was
working on this form and created a tournament style form
for him to compete with.
He joined the school's competition team and practiced to
prepare for his first tournament. Shawn went to his first
tournament in the middle of 2011 and didn't do too well. He
tried his best and we gave him a lot of encouragement to
keep working hard and next time he might do better. Shawn
would then practice after school and on weekends to perfect
his traditional kata and weapon forms.
Shawn then went to his first NASKA tournament, the New
England Open where he won first place in traditional
weapons and in point sparring.
That same night Shawn and his parents watched a team on
stage from their home state of Connecticut called 100
Percent. It was then they made the decision to join that
school which would train him in the Open/Creative divisions
that he wanted to compete in. Not many schools in the area
had instructors experienced in the creative forms aspect of
martial arts as 100% did.
Shawn had to start from the very beginning again, as a
white belt, once we switched schools. He quickly moved
through the ranks and in one year became advanced.
100 Percent has a performance training program which
helps competitors work on their open forms and weapons
forms for upcoming tournaments. Shawn trained real hard
learning a new sword and Kama form along with a musical
form and two non-weapon forms.
Shawn competed this past year in KRANE and NASKA
tournaments and became KRANE National Champion in all
of his competitive divisions.
Shawn admires and inspires to accomplish what these
martial artists have achieved in their competition careers.
Shawn was also able to work with Kalman Csoka recently
on a double sword form. He really admires Mr. Csoka's
determination and relentless hard work and hopes to
become a great weapons competitor like Mr. Csoka is. To
date Shawn has won over 150 martial art competitive
events. He is now training most days of the week to prepare
for the upcoming tournament season.